Ultraflexible and transparent thin-film and two-dimensional electronics for multi-scale neural interface applications
17th November 2021
Timing : 1 pm EST
Please use this zoom link for joining the webinar
For a list of all talks at the NanoBio seminar Series Fall'21, see here
Over the last decade there has been an emergence of clinical Brain Computer
Interfaces research. In parallel, the microelectronics industry has pushed towards smaller
and modular technologies based on flexible circuit platforms. The marriage of these two
seemingly disparate technologies has led to a new class of neural devices, based on thin-
film MEMS polymer processing technology. These devices are small, flexible, foldable
and form spontaneous adhesion to the brain surface, allowing the electrodes to form
intimate contact with the convoluted surface of the cortex. This talk will focus on more
recent developments in this area that take advantage of ultra-thin electronic substrates and
2-Dimensional materials. These devices have the added advantages of being ulta-flexible
and optically transparent, opening up the potential to integrate neural recording and
stimulation with imaging and optogenetics. These devices also confer unique mechanical
properties that can be leveraged to self-assemble devices into complex shapes that can
mimic natural neural architectures. Thin-film flexible electronics hold great promise for
interfacing with other parts of the nervous system as well and this talk will highlight
ongoing research in the field, covering applications including peripheral nerve
stimulation, electro-retinal devices and neural cell culture platforms.